In the Name of The Almighty
by The True Razgriz
Summary: A continuation of Sailor Moon, started by a friend of mine and myself. The character is despicable, as are the many mistakes of myth they use, but some aspects are decent. In this multi-part story, Sailor Moon and her friends learn what punishment truly means. Enjoy.


The surface of Crystal Tokyo gleamed under the full moonlight, the radiance sparkling brilliantly as the calming light washed over the city in a comforting manner; the city itself was safe once again thanks to the efforts of the Sailor Senshi. The last major threat to the Earth and the Galaxy's safety, Chaos, had been banished to the Galaxy Cauldron at the center of the Milky Way and those which had been killed in battle were resurrected. The King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo, the position also granting them the title of rulers of the world, oversaw their new charge with great enthusiasm, as did the rest of the Senshi Warriors. Chaos itself was no more, what else could there possibly be? The Black Moon Clan was all but sealed away on Nemesis, all of Chaos' counterparts had been defeated. Yes, it was indeed a picture of perfection. The streets were clean of crime and corruption. People could again sleep soundly in their beds, lovers could grow and prosper. And with how long people were living now, it made everything that much better. With age came wisdom, after all, at least in _most_ cases and the people benefited greatly from the care of their protectors/ the Sailor Senshi

However, they would soon find that their actions had drawn the attention of four notorious individuals, ones who looked down on the Senshi's actions with great displeasure and utter revulsion. Ones who would test the very ability of the Senshi themselves to defend their pristine home. Three of these four were currently standing in an infinite and shadowy void, a holographic projection of the city itself raised before them. None of their faces could be seen, for each had a method of concealing them, either partially or entirely. "Look at them, how they blindly follow like sheep. Do they not comprehend what it is their "savior" has done? She thinks herself above the universe, above the natural law! And yet here we sit! These savage beasts deserve to be exterminated!" one of the individuals, dressed in full red and white battle armor complemented with a crimson cape, snarled as he crossed his arms in front of his broad chest, a violent red energy cloud bleeding off his massive figure. The shoulder plates and helmet were adorned respectively with large white and red spikes, the latter arranged in a crown-like fashion on the helmet itself. A massive double-edged blade was strapped across his back, its inner length possessing skull-like imprints along the surface; the eyes of these imprints seemed to leak the same red energy he was exuding, dripping down the length of the blade to the tip much like the blood of a fallen foe. It would travel the entire length before dropping off entirely and vanishing into the space around. A slightly smaller sword too was in a large sheath strapped securely across his waist; the flowing red cape seemed to hide this blade relatively well, however, and likely would not be noticed by anyone who might confront him.

"Calm yourself, War, lest you end up like Chaos" a humanoid figure dressed in a hooded cloak-like garment replied, his tone haunting yet empowering at the same time. Standing just a bit shorter than the man in the armor, his athletic form was covered largely in a skin-tight material of unknown composition. At the elbows and knees sat metal skulls, armor extending from them to the fingertips and toes in the forms of bracers and greaves. His right hand clasped the snath of a large scythe resting on his shoulder, its length white as bone and its lower tip ending in a skull holding a bronze ring its mouth. The tang of the scythe was nothing more than a skull itself with the lower mandible removed to accommodate the beard of the silvered blade, another smaller blade poking out from the cranium which made up the weapon's heel. Its name, fittingly enough, was the Harvester and every inch of its surface was surrounded by the agony of billions if not trillions of extinguished souls. "Calm myself? As they continue to trample on the very fabric of that which defines the universe!? Look at what they do to your domain, Death! Resurrecting the dead as if it were a mere child's game! Have you no sense of duty!? No honor?" Death's grip tightened on the weapon in response, his calm voice replying "I see very clearly what they do, War; however, I do not permit their actions to foul my thoughts. You have seen how they managed to stifle even Chaos itself; we must move cautiously and with precision". War gave a derisive snort, "Chaos was a fool, attacking at only a fraction of full strength. And despite having taken the form of the most powerful Senshi and stealing the Star Seeds of their strongest numbers, he was still beaten by the Sol System's pathetic leader". "Even still, she did not destroy Chaos entirely, only the Fragment that had corrupted Galaxia". "Serenity knows not what she has wrought; the fact that she would even consider such an action is reason enough to exterminate the lot of them. Earth will see its judgment, I promise you that". "I understand your rationale, brother, but cleansing the entire planet? There are those who opposed her actions, you know". "And yet they sat by and watched, only speaking out against her but doing no action to stop the Moon Queen themselves. Right bunch of cowards they are".

Death gave a simple sigh, knowing that once War was focused on something he would not stop until it was completed. He then turned to the one on his left, saying "Famine, do you have it?" A short, frail-looking man dressed in black robes and a matching shrouded cap slowly approached, his head weakly nodding as his voice - distorted from the metal mask he wore over his mouth - said, "Yes...It's about time, too; he was starting to give me a stomachache" Famine then removed his mask before inserting a thin, almost skeletal hand into his mouth and pulling out a pulsing orb of red energy and handing it to the armored hand of Death himself before replacing his mask over his mouth. "Be thankful, War; that Chaos Fragment was not easy to pull back out of the Cauldron, even for me. I guess it's a good thing you didn't have Death release the whole Chaos Shard within you" Famine said, his voice echoing slightly as his sunken eyes turned back to the projection that showed the crystal-covered city. War just nodded and accepted the soul of Chaos, taking his blade from off his back and rubbing the orb across its surface. The eyes of the skull embossings pulsed rapidly, causing the length to glow red and drip more energy than before; this was one of the last steps to what they would have to do. "Another Chaos Fragment is with me; Serenity will regret her rash action" War muttered as he reslung his blade. Soon, the Senshi - and by extension, the rest of humanity - would pay for its crimes; even if the one they had called their Creator, they would not be dissuaded from their duty: To uphold the Balance. And with Destruction having been all but brought to a halt by the actions of the Planetary Warriors, warriors given blessed powers by the very Creator that tasked the Horsemen with managing the shifts between light and darkness, that very Balance was now threatened.

"Where is our brother Conquest? He should have finished by now..." Famine then asked, his pupilless black eyes scanning the infinite Void for his 'brother'. Just then, a bright flash of light opened behind them and from the burst rode a giant of a man on a brilliant white Clydesdale, whose mane, hair and tail were as white as snow itself, a fine cloak of white silky material draped over his shoulders and cotton leggings hugging his lean, toned legs. His mouth covered by a large collar, the only visible portions of his body were his hands and upper part of his face. Fine golden rings adorned his slender fingers and across his back was slung a double-bladed, black battleaxe. Atop his head sat a crown of gold, inset with innumerable fine jewels, each one representing a world he'd conquered. **"Still here? Why do you not ride? The hordes await to conquer and dominate, and yet here the three of you stand!** **"** the Rider barked, commanding authority as if he should just received it from his existing. Death just waved his hand and replied, "Not important, Conquest. I assume you've finished?" The large man just nodded and replied, **"Of course I've finished! Hordes, come!"** Conquest just snapped two of his fingers and within moments, legions upon legions of demonic monsters poured forth and surrounded the four of them. **"Oh, and a present for you, brother; be gracious I went out of my way to retrieve it"** Conquest stated bluntly, tossing a black box towards Death, who caught it deftly. Inside upon opening sat a skull with an inverted black crescent moon engraved on its forehead; Death felt a bit of sorrow cross his heart. He had hoped this would be enough to dissuade the Senshi, but it seemed that was not the case at all. "He tried to lead the Black Moon Clan to destroy the Earth, but it seems even an extension of myself was not enough" Death commented dryly; the skull quickly evaporated, green tendrils embracing Death himself and flowing into the darkness of the hood that he wore. Death Phantom was now back with Death, the master having regained control of the part which he'd sent to try and keep the Balance, only to find that a more "hands-on" approach was now required.

"If we had rode earlier, we could have saved ourselves the trouble" War grumbled; his body showed his impatience, his readiness to ride into battle very clear amongst his brothers. **"For once I agree with War, Death; why do we wait? We have a Balance to maintain"**. "You only wish to ride to claim the Earth as another kingdom, Conquest; don't you dare think your motives are the same as mine!" Death finally interjected, "Enough, you two! What's done is done and there's nothing we can do to change it. Now that we've gotten everything we needed...Famine, you have your incarnation Queen Metalia again...Conquest, you have your incarnations Queen Nehellenia and Pharaoh 90...War has Chaos...And Conquest just returned Death Phantom to me. Very good, all loose ends are tied". Death then turned to War, stating "Brother, I must beg that you control yourself; you know what kind of power you possess. And you know what will happen if you don't keep it in check". War scowled, unseen beneath his helmet, as he replied heatedly, "Feh. You're one to lecture me, Death; had we moved sooner, we wouldn't have had to resort to this. I know my duty, and I _will_ carry it out". Young as he was, War had a point; perhaps Death was being overly cautious, but all of the Four riding together...No, it was necessary. Earth had been judged, and now it would fall to Destruction, just like any other who threatened the Balance to such an intolerable degree. With a sigh of muted defeat, Death then said, "Now let's begin...Come forth, Despair" At command, a green-skinned Bronco - its own flesh peeling slightly from its bones to reveal a green aura surrounding the exposed skeleton - appeared next to Death who quickly climbed aboard. Its hooves were surrounded by small vortexes of green energy, the appearance of which seemed to be anguished souls. "Let's go eat, Strife" was Famine's distorted, weak-sounding command; a sickly black Hanoverian, the skin pulled tight over its own skeleton and its eyes sunken in like its master's, soon appeared; given the frailty of his form, War helped his brother climb aboard. Famine then held out his right hand and a pair of bronze scales appeared; the bony fingers grasped the centerpiece and brought them down to his side. "Ruin!" War shouted as he stepped back from Famine's mount; in a brilliant burst of fire, a red-grey skinned Mustang rode forth, a thick metal chain connected to the bit in his mouth. The hooves and mane were alight with fire, and small plumes of flame could be seen flaring from the nostrils as Ruin snorted; War's hand grasped the chain firmly and pulled himself into the seat, Ruin whinnying loudly as he rose onto his thick rear legs. **"Ride, Vengeance! Show them the power of the Four Horsemen!"** Conquest bellowed, his large hand grasping the gigantic axe at the grip and raising it to the air, his own horse reeling before his powerful hooves carried him forward to the largely unsuspecting planet.

Above Crystal Tokyo, a powerful thunder could be heard; strange because there were no storm clouds. Some people arose from their beds to see what the commotion was, not knowing just what brand of danger approached them. However, a portal soon opened, and from that opening came the Rider of the White Horse, Conquest. Conquest atop his mount Vengeance sat high up in the sky, the arm holding the gigantic black axe hanging at his side as he looked down at this pathetic city. The people couldn't believe what they were seeing; who was that? What did he want? Conquest could hear all of this; some were already taken by him, and fewer still were already kneeling before him as if he were their lord and master. This only served to cause more confusion; why were they kneeling, some of the others asked. Conquest smirked beneath his enormous collar; he would make this yet another mark in his crown. **"Kneel, you mortal fools! Kneel and bow before your master!"** Conquest bellowed, raising his axe high as Vengeance reared up, sending a crack of lightning behind him. Soon his brothers would follow and then these fools would see what happened to those that invoked the wrath of the Four Riders of the Apocalypse.

The night was clear and calm, a small breeze whistled through the brilliant green of the leaves of the trees. The air was still warm from the day and the citizens had mostly turned in to rest for the night. It was just another perfect and beautiful night in Crystal Tokyo. But there was unrest in the Crystal spire. The Sailor Senshi sat awake, unease apparent in their ranks. And at the center sat the Queen herself and the leader of the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Moon.

Sailor moon sat there chewing on her bottom lip while thoughts hurried across her mind in rapid succession. Why did she have to fight _again_? Hadn't she done enough when _she_ had sealed chaos away? Wasn't _she_ the ruler and Queen of Crystal Tokyo? _Queen's_ didn't fight, did they? Didn't they just send all their pawns and knights out to fight for them? Surely eight of the Sailor Senshi was more than enough to take on just _four_ baddies. She shook her head and rubbed her temples. No, no it was not enough. She had the silver crystal and she was the only one who could use it. So she had to set aside her crown and cozy life style and take up arms _again_ to save the world from destruction _again_. She felt frustration build up inside of her and she _almost_ started to cry but managed to refrain somehow. She may be the ruler but goddess help her if Mars saw her crying. She let out a sigh and let her head drop. " **I wonder if...** " trailing off she shook her head slightly " **never mind** ".

It felt odd, all of them being back together again. True, they had remained in contact since the eight other soldiers were her body guards but they hadn't geared up to fight side by side in many a century. Almost all of the soldiers were in battle ready mode, clinging to their various assortment of weaponry. All except three of them. Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn. They remained un-armed and sat in a rigid stillness that looked and probably was forced. The tension in the room continued to mount with each passing second. If it continued like this something or someone was going to burst. Blinking everyone turned their heads towards the corridor to the sound of approaching footsteps and a moment later King Endymion appeared through the arch-way.

Getting up from her spot Sailor Moon ran into the arms of her husband and sighed feeling his strong arms wrap around her. " **I don't want to fight again...** " she whispered feeling the tears shimmer in her eyes. Burying her head into his chest she let him hold her for awhile. Feeling a little calmer she took a step back from her husband and looked at the "Beautiful Sailor Senshi." Most of them had abandoned the "Sailor" outfits and the transforming in general and had opted for a quicker means of responding to battle. Sailor Moon herself had kept with the old way's and still transformed into her Sailor Scout uniform, which is what she now wore. Feeling a little out of place she brushed her skirt off and smoothed it of any possible wrinkles. " _What do I say?_ " she thought once more chewing on her bottom lip.

Endymion lowered his head and whispered into her ear before taking his leave. He too would be joining in the battle. "Why is everyone so apprehensive? We've destroyed what threatened us before, we can and will do it again." Jupiter said in the matter-of-fact way she usually spoke. It was so simple. Much too simple really, there was no way it could be so easy right? All they had faced in the past, every monster, every villain, every trial they had faced came to the fore. Could this really be no different? Jupiter rose and stretched her body until a series of loud pop's and cracks echoed around the room. " **Careful Jupiter. Don't overdo it, we'll need your strength in this battle.** " Pluto said in her usual unnaturally calm manner. Pluto was always the voice of reason in any chaotic situation. Her wisdom knew almost no limits and her ability to think calmly and clearly in desperate situations made her invaluable. But, there was always an echoing emptiness in her voice that always felt...cold. Jupiter nodded to Pluto and started pacing around the room. She knew what she had just said was a bit rash and in some regards did believe her own words but, something felt off. There was something different about this fight, a darkness that lurked at the edges that made her uneasy. She knew Pluto and Saturn felt the same as she did. However she didn't know about the rest of the soldiers since she had not had any chances to talk to them.

" **We have fought side by side in battles. Were once upon a time even friends. And now we sit here as if we were strangers uncertain of how to behave.** " Saturn murmured in a soft voice that still managed to reach the ears of all present. She stared off into the distance, seeing things only she could see. " **Saturn is right. If we are to win, we must put aside all this silly dis-comfort and awkwardness, it will only aid our enemies.** " Pluto said calmly. Through her veil she stared at each Senshi in turn before her head turned to face Sailor Moon herself. Even if they couldn't see it they all knew that she had looked at them, looked through them. Had seen into their hearts. Into their doubts. Even without seeing you always knew when her gaze had fallen on you. And at the moment, her gaze was directed at the Queen. As if following Pluto each of the Senshi's gaze came to rest on their leader as well. Each gaze held a different question for her, and yet there was not a single question there that she could answer truthfully. She had never become the person that Luna -that any of them- had hoped she'd become. She was still a shadow of her former self. She was still very clumsy and still kind of a cry-baby as well as a coward. She might have tempered the cry-baby and coward parts of herself a bit but they were still there lurking in the background. Unable to look them in the eye she glanced off to the side " **Ah, well, everything will be alright!** " she said offhandedly in the usual Sailor moon style " **It's like Jupiter said, we've done it so many times before it should be a cinch this time!** " she said with a forced laughter that rang rather loudly around the large hall. Though with all her boasting she had an awful premonition that all would **not** be well. " **I think its time you three readied yourself...** " Sailor Moon said changing the topic.

Pluto silently nodded and held her hand straight out in front of her with her palm facing downwards " **Come, Kazahana.** " she murmured. Underneath her hand a scythe began to materialize. The base of the Scythe formed first and from it two ribbons that looked to be made of frost appeared winding around it. Before long the blade of the Scythe materialized, it's cruel and sharp edge glinted menacingly for a moment before a thin layer of ice coated the blade giving the once smooth edge a serrated look, which made it look all the more deadly. Following suit Jupiter stuck her hands out to her sides as if already gripping her weapons. She then called out " **Kagutsuchi!** " her voice thundered around the room and lightening sparked around her hands and two crescent blades formed. Bolts of electricity ran along the edges of the blade as if they had their own electrical currents running through them. Finally Saturn reached her hand up as if trying to grasp the heavens " **Yatagarasu...** " she whispered. Along her arms metal gauntlets formed covering her upper and lower arms before encasing her fingers. A large blade began to form above her outstretched fingers spinning faster and faster as it took on it's true form. Reaching up a little higher she grabbed onto a grip that was off center of the whirling metal disc. Lowering it she grabbed onto a separate grip located on the opposite end to the one she was currently holding and in one swift movement split it into two separate weapons.

Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter had always been frighteningly strong but it seemed they had gotten even stronger. And their weapons of choice suited them well, it was more than a bit daunting standing in their presence. Of the Senshi no one could deny that they were the strongest three.

Sailor Moon pursed her lips into a thin line. She knew that they had become stronger but the fact that they had become _this_ strong was a bit frustrating. Not to mention that the fact they had abandoned the outfits and instead summoned weapons embarrassed her. Here she chose to fight with the things she'd been given so long ago, whereas those three had traded theirs in for frightening _real_ weapons. Those three would easily be able to outshine her. It was not a thought she liked very much. Not at all. " _Show offs..._ " she thought. Sailor Moon had never liked her spot-light being taken away and had usually whined about it. Right as she was about to say something though, a thunderous roar could be heard above the city. Everyone in the room stiffened and looked up " **It's- I guess they have arrived.** " Sailor Moon said her voice trembling slightly. Jupiter growled, thunder was apart of her domain. It didn't sit well with her that they were using it as a signal. " **Let's go...** " she growled. Everyone rose and solemnly left. They filed out of the door and glanced up at the sky in unison " **I see they've made it** _ **very**_ **easy to spot them...** " Pluto said eyeing the very prominent portal hanging in the skies above Crystal Tokyo. " **Seems they want to make a hundred percent certain that we find them right away.** " Jupiter said frowning a little.

And just like that they all began to run through the pristine streets of Crystal Tokyo. Like shadows they moved quickly and silently as they headed towards the enemy that had appeared and who'd so _formally_ challenged them. Each of them watched as the portal grew nearer to them and with each step they took a small niggling of doubt appeared in the backs of their minds. Before long they reached the portal and it seemed that one of the enemy had already appeared. Taking up her normal position as leader of the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Moon took center stage. " **What do you want?** " she hollered out in righteous indignation. Each of the Senshi glanced at her in turn. They all let out a collective sigh and some of them shook their heads. It was pretty obvious what they wanted. But there was Sailor Moon for you. Jupiter let out another small sigh as she tightened her grip on the blades. As she did so electricity crackled dangerously around her fists. " **I would be more worried about where the other three are.** " Pluto said still exuding her cold calmness.

It wasn't likely that Sailor Moon had sensed this ones power but the rest of them certainly had. Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter, Mars and Mercury more acutely than the others. And if this one alone exuded this much power, how were they going to stay alive? Never mind actually _winning_.

Conquest just sat above them, looking on as these petulant sheep began to kneel in ever-increasing numbers; these mortals were so easy to manipulate. The White Rider then took notice as he felt multiple strong presences approach him; beneath his large collar a thin smirk crept across his face. If there was one way to break one's enemy, it was to show them that those which served under them now worshiped a new, more able power. Nine women and a man in a lavender tuxedo with matching color cape and eyemask approached; funny that the rulers of this foul world would dare confront him. No matter; even now Conquest was more than a match for them. The blonde's question was a bit on the nose; did she not know who he was? "Feh...A human being as blind as always. It's no wonder you've brought this upon yourselves" Conquest snarled; he then had his mount Vengeance gallop downward before the Clydesdale's hooves touched the streets of Crystal Tokyo, the muscles of the snow-white beast's body rippling with refined elegance and superior breeding. There he stopped about twenty feet away from the Senshi before dismounting, letting his onlookers take a gander at that which was superior to them in every way. Standing at five and a half feet tall, his toned body seemed much larger due to the flowing fine garments he wore; it was as if he only adorned himself in the best and expected it to happen. Seeing that they did not bow just yet made him smirk; they'd be kneeling before him soon enough. And if not...Well, it was only the King and Queen he wanted to add to his 'collection'. _"The Crystal Spire shall make an excellent castle, however. The servants will have fun cleaning that"_ he mused mentally, the crown atop his head glimmering a rainbow of colors in the moonlight as he directed his next comment at Tokyo's Queen and the rest of the Senshi."

"This little girl in the skimpy clothing is the scum you bow to? Ha! She knows not the meaning of being a ruler!" He then glared directly at Moon and asked pointedly, "You dare ask what I want, girl? Do you not see who stands before you, superior in both body and mind?! I am Conquest, Rider of the White Horse Vengeance and the embodiment of might itself! I rule all that I see with an iron-clad grip!"

Sailor Moon looked up at the imposing figure above them, her eyes following her comrades as he descended from the sky astride the great horse he rode in on. He wasn't the first enemy they'd faced that preferred to hover in the skies but there was something terrifyingly malign about him. Even she was able to comprehend -if only a bit- the power he possessed. As she gazed at him she felt ice run down her spine, just who was this being? This warrior that struck fear into her heart simply by being. Like a poisoned blade the venom of fear spread throughout her body immobilizing her. She gripped the princess harp in her hands close to her chest and held it till her knuckles whitened. She had been wrong. So very wrong. If this one being emitted such a terrifying aura, how could they possibly take on another three? "Perhaps this is the leader...maybe the others aren't nearly as strong..." Sailor Moon thought without much hope. How many times had they ever faced the leader first? "Never..." she thought fear growing ever more present in her demeanor. No words had been spoken and no fighting had taken place and already she felt a need to turn and run and never look back. Why, Why did this always have to happen to her? It just wasn't fair.

His words were harsh and his tone over bearing and commanding. Though his second little speech seemed to have finally struck a chord that temporarily managed to give their leader her voice back. Though, that being a good thing remains to be seen. Sailor Moon spluttered and her face turned an unsightly shade of red "Who-wha- How dare you!" she managed to say."Skimpy!? Superior!? Scum!? SURRENDER?!" she said her anger barely contained and her voice growing shriller with each spoken word. Bunching her fists she stamped her foot on the ground "Y-You listen here! You will never address me in such a manner ever again!" she said skipping over the whole "surrender and you'll die a quicker not as painful death" part of his speech. She'd almost reached temper tantrum proportions by now.

The White Rider took the blonde girl's words with nothing more than a pointed glare; so defiant, so sure of herself that she couldn't see her demise was all but imminent. He'd expected as much, but to hear her talking to him, as if she should be offended, was an insult. She should be grateful that he even acknowledged her existence, that he graced her with his presence, even if she was nothing more than an insignificant little ant. With that, Conquest took the large battleaxe in his hand and flipped it over, driving the bladed end into the ground hard enough to make a small earthquake emanate from where he stood. "My brothers and I have stood for your insolence long enough. Perhaps if you surrender now, I will make your executions quick and...relatively...painless before taking this planet for myself!" the White Rider stated authoritatively

"Calm yourself Sailor Moon." Pluto said with a small little sigh. "...I think the first words should have been "We will never surrender to the likes of you"...or something like that" Jupiter said shaking her head an exasperated look on her face. "Leave it to her to take a serious situation and make it laughable..." Jupiter thought sighing a little. King Endymion stepped forward and replied, "I suggest you answer the lady's question...What is it you want?"

It was Pluto who'd ended up taking notice of the kneeling civilians first. "What is this...?" she thought as she scanned the lines of kneeling people. They certainly were not kneeling for their King and Queen. That much was blatantly obvious. Her eyes switched back to the powerful foe before them and she narrowed her eyes her brows furrowing "Is this his influence?" she murmured. "It is." Saturn answered. Saturn's perceptive eyes could literally see the energy flowing into him from the denizen's of Crystal Tokyo. "He's feeding off of it." she said softly. "I see." was her only reply. Jupiter glanced at the two troubled by what she'd heard. This being who stood before them was so powerful that the weak just naturally bowed to him. She was fairly certain the rest of the Senshi had also heard Saturn and Pluto. All of course, except for Sailor Moon. Even Jupiter could see her shaking in fear "She's always so scared of every battle...and always tries to delay it in any way she can. " Jupiter thought with a light shake of her head. Usually Sailor Moon would delay just by continuously talking. It was one of the few things she was actually good at. Jupiter never understood the reason for it. A battle was inevitable, there was no way to get around that fact so she saw no point in stalling it. It was usually better just to get it over with but Sailor Moon would try to stall and all they could do was wait.

However, all the Senshi took note of the fact that their talkative Queen had fallen deathly silent as she stared at the Rider.

Ever since Conquest had introduced himself, Pluto had been staring at him intently. She'd heard that name before and she was trying to place it when Sailor Moon had her little outburst. She went back to looking at Conquest a troubled expression forming on her usually impassive face. "Conquest...could it be?" she thought looking even more troubled. "It shouldn't be possible...but..." she thought trailing off. "Conquest, by chance are the names of your three brothers, Famine, War and Death?" she asked. Even above the din of noise her voice carried clearly like a chill wind on a cold winters day. Mercury looked at Pluto in surprise her eyes widening when she realized where Pluto was going with her question and the possible answer scared her.

Several of the citizens that had gathered around stood in front of Conquest, shattering the silence by shouting obscenities at the Senshi and their former King and Queen. To say Endymion was shocked was a poor choice of words; he tried to say, "My people, it is I your king, your protector. I am not your enemy!" but the shouts of the crowd quickly drowned him out, forcing to take a step back towards the Senshi. "We will defend our true King, impostor!" one citizen shouted, and another said as he looked back at Conquest and said, "My lord, let us deal with them! We will make an example of their foul behavior!" Endymion just glared at the man and said sharply, "Monster, what trickery is this?!" This only made the Horseman laugh; these fools were even more blind than he thought possible!

And it seemed that Pluto's question would not be answered. Things had begun to escalate at a rapid pace. The citizens -who'd until moments ago had been kneeling to Conquest- were now shouting at them, threatening them and protecting the Rider. Anger and a growing bloodlust permeated the air bloodlust, their desire to kill those who'd protected them. Their words were harsh and cruel, King Endymion tried to reason with them but was met with even more hostility than before. Sailor Moon herself hadn't even bothered saying a word, she just stared at the enraged citizens in horror. "My own people...have turned against me?" she thought panic taking hold of her. When "Conquest" had not answered though Saturn did for him. "It is his doing, he is feeding off of the weaker willed beings of our domain. In his strong presence they feel a need to bow and serve and he grows from it. The more that kneel to him...the more it feeds him." she said. She wasn't exactly sure how accurate she was but, she knew it was close enough.

Indeed, those weak of will and strength would feel compelled to serve him, recognize Conquest as their one true Lord and Master. The energy was their loyalty; the more they wanted to serve Conquest, the stronger he got. And as more and more humans fell under his control, his power would steadily grow without end. The White Horseman's lips tightened beneath the massive collar, agitated at these 'Sailor Senshi'. What a mockery; these were the symbols of ruling power on this planet?

How pitiful.

"I grow tired of you, Endymion. Subjects, to arms! Slay them where they stand and take the Queen for your true King! Take their heads so that I might make trophies from them!" Conquest then bellowed, lifting his axe from the cracked ground and pointing its end towards the Senshi and their rulers. All at once, the citizens of Crystal Tokyo began converging on the Senshi and their King and Queen, shouting threats of death in the name of their new King. The command would also bring another force into the mix: All around them, portals would open around the city, most of which were closer to the ground. Three, however, would open in the sky, revealing none other than Conquest's brothers on their respective horses; the trails from the path of their steeds would act as comet tails, their horses and masters crashing into the Earth to stand beside their brother. Horrific abominations poured forth from the lower portals, spreading throughout the city and starting the wave of ruin and destruction that signaled the beginning of the Apocalypse.

"You intend to make the people fight against us!?" Jupiter asked incredulously, taking note of the frenzied charge. At this rate a horde of monsters would have been better. At least they could outright kill them! Each Senshi took on the malicious mob and started knocking them unconscious. Even if they were trying to kill them, they were just innocent bystanders. Though Jupiter would soon regret her thought about demons. For dozens of portals began opening up around them and demons teemed forth in immeasurable numbers. Some of the humans began to flee in fear while others remained, still trying to attack them. The hairs on the back of the Senshi's neck stood on end and each one of them looked up to see the last three arrive. The power of the four together was enough to choke the life out of someone.

Their gazes did not linger long, however, nor did the arrival of the Horseman's brethren stay their hand. They had more pressing issues at the moment, such as defending themselves against the ocean of demonic creatures and humans that was intent on killing them. Jupiter gritted her teeth and lunged forward electricity crackling along the edge of her blades. Using her natural strength and size she punched one of the demons in the head, her blade slicing through it's skull like butter while electrical currents ran through the beasts body. Overkill? Maybe but who cares right? Swinging her arm around she gutted another beast close by. With each cut, slice and stab she made large quantities of electricity ran through them frying them from the inside out. Jupiter raised her arms up and dark clouds began to form, lightening jumping among them, closely followed by a boom of thunder. A strike of lightening bolted down striking her blades, dropping her arms a little she aimed at a larger group of demons and a ball of lightening jumped from her blade and into the fray sending pieces of demons flying everywhere.

Saturn stood there and sliced the enemies that ran at her. "Silence Wall" she whispered. She pushed her arm out at an attacking enemy, it's blade struck something and ripples formed around the blade. She ducked down as another beast attempted to take her head from behind. Gripping her blades she sliced upwards cutting them from their groin to the tip of their head. Jumping up she clicked the two blades together and threw it out among the ranks of demons, the spinning blade flew out taking off the heads,arms and various other limbs of demons before returning back to her. In a single motion she grabbed the blades, pulled them back apart and took off the head of another demon beside her.

Pluto wielded her scythe with an expertise that bespoke her years of battles and skill. The ice serrated edge of her blade cut through the demons as if they were no more than air. The ones she did not outright kill in one stroke she left to suffer the fate of being frozen alive and shattered. She walked slowly slicing any and all that stood in her way. Pointing her scythe straight out in front of her she smiled "Dead Scream." she murmured her voice carrying over the battle cries and death cries. A purple ball of energy formed and pulsed at the tip of the staff part before shooting off into the crowd destroying a large group of demons.

Hundreds of demons fell but with each one that died a hundred more took it's place. "There is no end to this. They are not very hard to kill...but their sheer numbers are enough to over power us..." Jupiter thought furrowing her brows as she continued, glancing up at the Four, "Even if we manage to kill all of this monstrous army...we'll be too exhausted to put up any kind of fight against them."

Conquest merely observed as the Senshi began fighting back; sadly, they had already fallen into his trap. But there was no point in dwelling on it; he had a world to conquer, after all. The demons too began fueling him, their desire to serve their master granting him a virtually unlimited source of strength to draw upon. Tides upon tides of the white energy, the loyalty and sense of servitude his subjects felt, flowed into him as if each individual were nothing more than a battery for him to use and dispose of. Conquest was already extremely powerful in his own right, but he was only third in power to his brothers War and Death.

"Oh my, they're quite talented aren't they? Ultimately pointless, but fun to watch nonetheless" was what the distorted voice of Famine said, his sickly black horse Strife already feeding on the flesh of a fallen human as it rode up to stand next to Conquest. All around them, the humans that died became food for the demonic hordes as well; even their own fallen brethren were not safe from Famine's influence, as their flesh was torn apart from the demons who still lived. "Ah, the joys of hunger...Makes me feel so complete inside" Famine commented, his body seeming to glow as black tendrils of energy erupted from his body, encasing all the combatants in the area save for those who had the innate power of will to resist his influence, like his brothers.

Jupiter felt her stomach turn and roil at the sight. "How...terrible... she said her eyebrow twitching in disgusted horror. She shifted her focus toward the rider who sat upon the starved looking horse and decided then and there that she would be the one to fight him. She would be the one to put a permanent end to the hunger that hung around him like a cape. How? She had no idea but she knew she would have to try. The feeding frenzy continued and intensified until the demons and humans attacked those still alive, ripping the flesh from their bodies to devour. Jupiter just felt ever more sickened and righteously enraged. This feeling empowered her. Calling forth more thunder and lightening she struck the ravenous group with multiple lightening bolts. Agonized screams echoed above the din of battle as bodies were ripped apart and electrocuted by her power.

Just then Despair, the green horse of Death - the bones that made up its skeleton partially visible to the naked eye - rode up to stand beside his brothers, carrying his master upon his back. "We are not here to merely spectate, Famine; you have your duty, now go" Death stated, the snath of his scythe resting across his back; Famine seemed a little saddened at having to leave this particular scene of destructive splendor. But he knew he could get much more energy for himself if he took another portion of the sizable city, so he merely nodded and rode off down a side street to an as-of-yet untouched part of the city.

Jupiter sliced the neck off one of the demons, it clawed as blood bubbled and cooked, little arcs of lightening visible in the wound. She watched the black Horseman ride off and she gripped her weapons ever tighter. "No you don't!" she muttered. "I'm going after him!" Jupiter hollered out pointing towards the Horseman who was rapidly disappearing into the distance. The ones who heard just nodded. As Jupiter turned to pursue him, she felt one of the other Senshi following closely behind her. It was Venus. "I'm going with you." Venus said catching up with her. Jupiter just nodded and followed after the Rider. She would not let him get away, would not let him roam freely on her home world, would not let him devour, would not let him sate his hunger here. Not even if it meant her death. Electrical energy crackled around her and her already tight grip tightened even more until her knuckles were white. So long as she drew breath he would not do as he pleased.

As War might come down to stand beside his remaining brothers, Famine's influence would be replaced by the Red Horseman's own: All combatants would feel their rage boil over, their need to fight not only those who fought against them, but fight each other as well. Soon enough, the demons began attacking each other, as did the remaining humans of Crystal Tokyo in this part of the city. **"DEATH! Get War out of here! He's going to ruin everything!"** Conquest bellowed, enraged of his own volition that his soldiers would begin attacking themselves. "Yes, Conquest, I understand; War, why don't you go stir things up somewhere else?" War just unslung his sword and pointed it right at Queen Serenity/Sailor Moon, growling "Not until I cleave their leader into pieces and let the monsters feast on her bones!"

Sailor moon looked on with horror as the Red Rider's influence made the assailants and victims destroy themselves. Covering her mouth she felt bile rise in her throat, her stomach whirling at the carnage. _"Blood...so much blood..."_ her mind repeated, body seized in irresolvable terror. She had yet to take part in the fight. She hadn't lifted a finger but already she felt weak and sweat beaded down her forehead, her eyes wide open conveying absolute horror at what she saw _"What am I going to do?"_ she thought as she continued to watch the massacre before her. She'd been so wholly absorbed in the awful sight before her that she hadn't even noticed the exchange of words between the soldiers. And then a feeling of pure malice and wrath hit her and she screamed as if she'd been physically assaulted. Ripping her gaze away from the scene she stared at the one garbed in red, he had his weapon pointed directly at her. Her body shook more violently and she felt as if her legs were about to give out on her at any moment _"Why me? Why? WHY?_ " she thought panic taking hold of her and making her mute. Her husband appeared, coming between her and the Riders.

Death raised a hand and lowered War's blade, calmly saying, "You will get your opportunity, brother; however, we didn't plan this for no reason at all. Stick to it, and the Queen's head will be yours for the taking" War's form shook at the loss of being able to slay their leader on the spot, but reslung his blade and stated quite loudly to be heard by Sailor Moon herself, "Consider yourself fortunate, Queen Serenity, that my brother grants you this one mercy. Know that next time we meet, you will die!" He then yanked the chain-rein in Ruin's mouth, shouting "Yah!"; the red fiery beast reared up, whinnied loudly and bolted, his flaming hooves leaving an unsightly trail of fire and destruction, his power enough to completely demolish any buildings in his path and leave a glass-like trail in his wake.

Her body slumped to the ground, her eyes now affixed at Endymion's back as he came to shield her _"...Fortunate...me? Mercy?..."_ she thought numbly. She didn't see the Rider leave nor did she notice that the fight had resumed.

Endymion was torn, even as he assisted the other Senshi in slaying the monsters that sought to overtake them; still, of these four, the one in red had the most dangerous effect. It turned anyone who lingered too close into mindless berserkers; even with his psychometry, he had no idea how long he could protect his mind or the minds of anyone who would come with him. He turned to check on his Queen, his beloved Her body felt like lead and was cold, so cold. _"Hopeless...it's...it's all hopeless."_ she thought her gaze focused on whatever was in front of her. She stared but did not see. A small river of blood flowed around her staining her clothes and her skin. Marking her, showing her sin and cowardice.

A warm pressure settled on Sailor Moon's shoulder and she turned her gaze to the man who stood beside her smiling at her comfortingly. Her Husband. Her knight in shining armor. She stared at him and through the shock she understood what he was telling her. She was the queen and leader of the proud and mighty Senshi Soldiers. She shouldn't be cowering at the mere threat of an enemy. Her mind wandered back to that blast of rage and violence and she felt herself go cold all over again. But so long as Endymion was here with her, she could do it somehow. With the help of Endymion she managed to get up, holding her hand to her chest she watched the Rider in red run off..."He..." she said trailing off uncertainty clouding her heart. She knew from the way Endymion stared off after the rider that he was going to give chase and challenge him. And she would follow him there. Looking out over the battlefield she searched for someone. After a moment she spotted her, cupping her hands around her mouth she hollered "MARS! Come with us!" When mars looked over, Sailor Moon pointed in the direction the red Rider had gone. Mars nodded her head and made her way towards Endymion and Serenity. And then they gave chase, running after the Rider who breathed rage, fire and destruction.

As soon as War and Famine were gone, the demons seemed to grow more organized than the previous bout of chaos, increased rage and self-destruction that plagued their ranks. All around the city, as the Senshi tried to hold back the tides at this location, the Riders of the Black and Red Horses could be felt causing their own brand of mortal destruction. "Now, Conquest, I'll assume you'll want to stay here..." Death commented, to which Conquest responded harshly, **"Of course I do! But how kind of you to leave me the scraps!"** Death sighed and simply replied, "Yes, well, if you have everything handled here, I guess I'll be on my way". Death then made Despair turn around and gallop quickly to his own quadrant of Crystal Tokyo; the souls of the dearly departed could be seen by all gathering under Despair's hooves as he took to the sky, forming a very crude and archaic bridge as the master of the afterlife departed the scene of battle.

Saturn, Mercury, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune were all that remained of the original ten. And only two of the enemy remained. Soon, even less would linger here at ground Zero, now that . The Rider of the green horse would soon make his move and Pluto would follow to stop him. Or at the very least, stall him some. She made her way over to Saturn carving a cold trail of destruction through the demons. "Saturn, will you and the others be fine here? Will you be able to handle conquest and what remains of the army?" she asked slicing a few of the enemies into shreds, as if it were only natural to her. Saturn looked at her and raised her brow questioningly but did not ask "...I'm sure we can." she said decapitating another nearby demon. Pluto nodded slightly, replying only with "Alright. Thank you, make sure to survive." When Death took his leave, Pluto cut another devastating trail through the monsters and took off in pursuit of the skeletal rider.

And with that, four Senshi were left alone with Conquest, his demonic minions and the rapidly decreasing number of loyal humans in this area of Crystal Tokyo. He would then give Vengeance a quick slap on the hindquarters, making the brilliant Clydesdale whinny and gallop straight at the Senshi, only to have it disappear into the ground inches in front of Uranus, who seemed to be the most stern of the group. He then pointed his axe right at the four remaining warriors and shouted, his demonic hordes surrounding him to effectively block the Senshi from escaping his sight for the time being, **"War was a fool! Slaying the protectors of this pathetic city is my duty! As the Eternal Conqueror, there are none more worthy of that right than myself! And know this, whores, that all who stand before me only rush to their doom!"**

Saturn mentally sighed and looked at those that remained, still on the fence about their likelihood of success. _"...I'll be able to hold out...but, don't know if they will..."_ she thought, absently she slaughtered the monsters around her with a graceful agility that seemed so much like a beautiful and horrifying dance of death. For Saturn killing was second nature. Jupiter might've been made for battle but Saturn was made for killing. Made to slaughter, to massacre. In this battle she was in her truest element. The Horseman Conquest finally decided to make his move against the Senshi. His horse galloped straight at Uranus, his horse disappearing inches from her body. He stood there and stared at her. His arrogance ticked Neptune off and the way he spoke irritated her all the more. He sounded so entitled and it quickly got under her skin. A rare expression of anger and indignation crossed Mercury's face when he so casually called them all whores.

Conquest raised his axe once more and slammed it hard into the ground, making the earth beneath the Senshi's and his own army's feet rumble with unbridled ferocity and power. The ground would splinter and crack from the force of the strike, the remaining Senshi - and even the demons- had stopped fighting having become more concerned with staying upright. Once the shaking had stopped they were once more forced into fighting for their lives as their master called a brutal blitz attack. Saturn resigned herself to the senseless destruction and began to mercilessly slaughter all that came before her, Uranus and Neptune working in tandem to destroy the stragglers.

Mercury was not made for battle she was the brains, she gathered information. She found the loopholes and the weaknesses. She supported the group with her abilities. She only had one or two attacks but they were mostly made to use as a means of escaping should she find herself in trouble. At the moment her entire focus was aimed at the Horseman before, the one named Conquest. Narrowing her eyes she brought out her mini super computer and began to analyze his aura, with her visor she was able to see what Saturn had seen. She'd been right. He was literally feeding off of the energy the demons emitted in servitude to him. She pursed her lips and began to read off her readings hoping to find a way to end this relatively quickly. "What am I thinking? Things never work out so perfectly and if it does it comes at a high price. Still, I must try. To give us even a chance of winning this fight." she thought, sighing and devoting herself to analyzing the data pouring in through her visor.


End file.
